We had a good drive around the streets (which didn’t take us long – not many there) and had a walk along the beach (which is gorgeous). It’s a very lovely spot and it seems to be being developed at the moment. Devine homes are building there and I the whole town is obviously going to tripple in size very quickly. This could mean that once it’s more developed the houses will raise in value and so it would be a good investment… or… it could mean what is currently a quiet and beautiful spot becomes crowded and we’d feel penned in. I guess it depends on the plot of land you choose to purchase for your home.

As you can see from the piccies above it’s a very beautiful place.

We also popped down to the next beach “Silver Sands” which is even smaller and the houses seem to be a bit more spaced out. There was one property with 14Hectares for sale… That’s way tooo big!! lol It’s way to early to be actually putting down a deposit but we fancied a drive and had a good time wandering around on the beach and having a think about where we might be this time next year. It gave us plenty to think about and consider. We’re going to need to think about what our priorities are in the future. We chose Adelaide because we liked being near the city and the beach and moving down there would mean an extra hours journey both to and from work. We’d need to weigh up whether that’s worth it or not. We are soppy gits and we hate it if we can’t hang out as much as possible.

Well it’s certainly given us food for thought …

We’ve been working hard this week to get everything in order and ready for our trip back to ol’ blighty. The car has been sold and LOF has been working hard showing a wide range of people around the house. Obviously, we have both finished working now so that we can get the final bits and bobs sorted before we head off on our final Australian adventure and then our eventual return to London Eng – er – land.

Span and LOM have obviously arrived on this side of the hemisphere and it was great to hear a very happy and bouncy Span telling me about the wonders of Hong Kong the other day. They’re in Sydney now and are still coming to grips with the ol when do I sleep and eat problem that jet lag causes. Poor things. They’ll be cool though and I am sure that Sydney is right up Span’s street. She did tell me the other day that after being in Hong Kong her and LOM first thought of the word “QUAINT” when they got there! LMAO I think most Aussies think it’s the biggest most sprawling metropolitan place ever! They’re right though, they are staying in the older bit and it is lovely and ‘quaint’ in it’s own way

We’re off to join them in Melbourne this coming Wednesday and then when they coach of down the Ocean rd. we’re heading to Tasmania for 2 days to see what’s over in Hobart. I have been told by several locals that Tassie is ace and that 2 days isn’t going to show us very much at all but I say a quick visit is better than no visit at all and I am looking forward to seeing it. It’s supposed to be more untouched. I do hope it has more going on that Kangaroo Island though!! lol

Of course, it was always my plan to make sure that, one way or another, we got to Tassie. It is the home of Cadbury world Australia!!! As a resident of B’ham it is my duty to go and check that out and have a word about the ingredients that they are putting into their cadburys here!!! tut tut tut!

We’re back to Adelaide on the Monday where we’ll meet up with Span and LOF at the end of the Ocean Rd, Adelaide . We’ll stay in the house for two days and then we have to hand the keys over on Wednesday. We leave on Thursday the 6th on route to Bangkok. Please don’t be suprised if you receive a christmas present from their! – if at all!! Chirstmas has been far from both of our minds lol. We’ll explore Bangkok for a couple of days and then get back on the plane to London; arriving in London in the early hours of the 10th of December.

Not long now folks!

I have mixed feelings about returning:
What if it’s not the same in the UK now?
What if I ‘ve changed soo much that I don’t like it anymore!!?
What on earth is it going to be like to work in a fulltime position again and will I resent it if I don’t get chance to carry on what i’ve been doing here???
How will we cope with the cold again?
How cool will it be to see the cats, my breath in the air, the snow, my family and friends……!!!

When we picked him up from the airport 10 days ago he walked straight past us in a daze. His eyes were hazy and he looked like he hadn’t slept for days. He hadn’t! After trying to stay awake and failing by lunchtime, and after having 10 days to finally get used to the time difference and sleep through the night he’s just got back onto the plane to jet back off towards England again; poor bugger!

We’ve had a busy 10 days and have sailed, driven and walked all over the place in order to get a real sense of Australia. lol You’ve already seen the extensive photo collection from Kangaroo Island and have suffered the 20min commentary on the pictures that goes along with it. Needless to say we did have a good time. However, it was FREEZING! No one told me that the island was so cold! It must be about 5/6 degrees lower. I only took my flipflops and I seriously regretted it! I did get to see some cool penquins at last and it was good fun

Mr Bogus and Lof really enjoyed their random ‘conversations’ which meant absolutly nothing to me – or anyone else for that matter. For example, If one of them said “Captain” it would make the other burst into fits of hysterical giggles for ages… mmmm crazy.

Apart from Kangaroo Island Mr Bogus also got to visit Cleelands Wildlife Park where we made sure that he got up close and personal to a Koala and some Kangas. A visit to Australia isn’t complete without looking at the wildlife which Mr Bogus proclaimed to be “strange”.

We also took him to Harndorf where, of course, it is OCKTOBER FEST! This led to all sorts of hilarious consequences as the gents hit the pub before lunch and began sampling the beers. I almost convinced Bogus to by a Digeridoo for Dunk but didn’t quite manage it Was really funny though. I am certain that LOM will be itching to visit and sample some of the Schnitzle (How ever that’s spelt)

After drinking the beer and visiting the knife shop – I know… why?
We then decided to go and visit the local chocolate factory. I was told it was really exciting.. Perhaps I’ve been spoilt by cadbury’s world but a large warhouse full of sweets on sale with rooms to the side where someone might be making something but weren’t on that day isn’t anywhere near what any of us expected to find. I was amused by their signature chocolates though. For example, the chocolate cowpat – one of which Bogus devoured in the car on the way home. There was even a “Hereford”
cowpat. It was milk chocolate with a dollop of white chocolate ontop lol.

He also got to experience Australian cinema and “frozen coke” and a “spider” when we went to the SA museum to see the live redback. A spider of course is also a drink…
Here’s a yummy one I ate. Lemonade, lime syrup and a dollop of icecream

We got some really ace pictures on our travels. Especially of the spring animals and babies. You can check out the kangaroo Island ones here and the others from Ants visit here

There’s a reason why Photostory should be kept away from people with beer…

We picked up the car from some friendly Adelaidians and got to grips with automatic transmission. No need to check it’s in neutral or to change gears!! It’s amazing what 9 years of driving a manual conditions you into! We’ve got a Mitsubishi 380. It’s red. It has cruise control, aircon and a CD player! Finally I got to listen to Mrakus’ Cds. Very cool. Particularly like Gorky Zygotic Mynki – Yep that’s their name (not sure of the spelling) – welsh – explains it doesn’t it? Lol. Didn’t make me feel homesick though. (that was his evil plan) How could it with the view that I’ve been looking at as we drive along!

We’ve been going for 2 days and have covered around 650 K (400 miles)

We’ve shared the driving don’t worry. You don’t really notice the distance for some reason! Kangaroos, echidnas (sp?) and birds (like emus) keep you entertained, along with the fab views.

We spent the first night in Mount Gambier where we stayed in a motel. (I like these – you get your own little flat with a front door!) Here we discovered the sink hole. An awesome volcanically created hole in the ground that had been turned into a Victorian English Garden and now houses loads of possums! We got to feed then bread and fruit as the sun went down (they’re nocturnal) One even let me stroke him (Felt just like S+H) Check them out – aren’t they cute….

Next day we kept driving. Driving past Cape Bridgewater by accident and having to turn back. There were seals, the petrified forest (a weird rock formation) and blow holes – spectacular coastal views. The beach was beautiful and we stopped here for lunch.

We then drove to Warrnambool. This is a sea-side town. I get the impression it’s a summer holiday destination for the local (Aber style) The beach is beautiful but what is even more exciting is Tower Hill – Which we’d driven past – The tourist information lady told us about it so we went back to have a look.

Tower Hill is another volcanically formed island in the middle of a lake. (which is now dry in this heat!) You can drive onto the island where 2 emus looked at us suspiciously and go for walks.

We opted for one of the shorter walks which took us over the lake on a boardwalk and into Koala country. (or as LOF and I like to to call them Quarley bears) We were happy enough until we read a sign which said “ Yes! Don’t be alarmed we live here too” with a picture of a snake. GULP! “ If you see me just stand still and then back away slowly – I’ll usually run for cover” ARGhhh!!

This meant that I was very much looking at where I was treading rather than in the tree canopy for Quarley bears! Half way along, surrounded by big, tall reeds and twittering birds, watching the un-painted wooden boardwalk beneath my feet and wondering if a snake could fit between the gaps, pop up and bite me an almighty growl began. Both LOF and I froze.. Was it a bear? An Emu? A Hog? Who Knows! We were frozen to the spot. Just the two of us with no outback Dave to allay our fears! ARGHH

It started like a quiet grunt and eventually turned into a threatening sounding snarl! We couldn’t see anything in the towering reeds which made it worse and I was instructed not to stand directly behind LOF in case he turned to run, bumped into me pushing me over and turning us into angry giant animal food!

It did stop after a while so, rather than having to go back through snake country we carried on into the woodlands. The grunting/snarling was replaced with the sounds of snapping twigs… We still couldn’t see anything…

Then we looked up to discover that the twig snapping sound was being created by quarly bears eating and dropping leaves and twigs.

They were high up but we could still see how cute they are, clinging to various trees. God knows what the grunty thing was but it didn’t growl again!

We did see the S.E.S – Alf Stuart , Summer Bay Crisis Style- in their orange jump suits. A 20 year old Autistic man had gone missing. I’m pretty sure they found him, thank fully….

If you like art, theatre, foods from around the world and music the Adelaide is perfect. It really is lovely. There is a good mix of the old and new in terms of architecture and things don’t shut early, as they seem to in Perth.

I felt quite at home today. I’m definitely getting used to this vagabond life!
D.E. spent a day or so here before she left for Alice and the tour. We met her at 12:00 and she showed us what she’d discovered last time she’d visited.

There’s a FREE bus which takes you along designated routes within the city – which is great – but we chose to walk, via the post office, and head to the market. It’s an enormous, much more exciting version of Hereford’s butter market. Only, unfortunately, they don’t sell Jelly Shoes 

Instead there’s stall after stall of every food type imaginable interspersed with coffee shops, bakeries etc. Brilliant sites and smells with posters all over the walls advertising new plays, bands and art exhibitions. Heaven! I tell you it’s winning in the where to live stakes (Baring in mind this is only the second city we’ve visited! Lol)

D.E. had booked a tour to Kangaroo Island so after a little wandering, sampling and chatting we said farewell.

I then spent and hour and a half trying to catch up with this blog – Still not managing to get it completely updated! I didn’t come to Adelaide to sit in the 24 7 so I got LOF and decided to hunt down dinner!

There is a tram system in Adelaide and for $3 you can get on and in 15 minutes you’re at the beach! It’s really lovely at the beach. It has a square (Moseley Square lol) full of restaurants and cafes. We opted for fish and chips – I had a Veggie burger – which was no ordinary burger – all freshly roasted veg + tsatsuki (MMMM Good food in Adelaide!) and ate it on the beach as the sun set.

At this point LOF was feeling a little wiped out – still got a cold – So we made our way back to the tram. He was very tired and ill looking. His sluggish steps seemed very purposeful as we headed back.

Then a mad face appeared in a pub window. Dave! Suddenly LOF was full of beans!!! LOL. A schooner of larger and a double whiskey later and we said goodbye to Dave who had a new tour to pick up in the morning and returned on the tram.

When you but a tram ticket it’s valid for 2 hours so as long as you return in that time you don’t have to pay again! Bargain! 

We got back to the hotel for about 9:45pm, packed up our belongings ready to leave the next day and fell into the land of nod…. ZZZZzzzzzz